Play and exercise apparatus



Nov. 19, 1940. Q C QVERHQLT 72,222,119

PLAY AND EXERCISE APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6. 6'. Overholt,

Nov. 1940. c. c. OVERHOLT 2,222,119

PLAY AND EXERCISE APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT @FHCE Brothers Com Application April 26,

Claims.

apparatus which may be employed for climbing, swinging scooting, balancing, trapeze exercising, see-sawing, etc.

Another object is t interest and benefit.

A further object is to supply an attractive apparatus especially useful in the development of muscle, agility, poise and physique.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus made up of a combination of units so that the basic elements of the structure may be employed with or without other adjuncts of the equipment.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of one of the rigid ladder supporting brackets and a cross section of its supporting bar.

Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the rungs of one form of the flexible ladder.

Fig. i is an elevation of one of such rungs and showing, in dotted lines, a portion of one of the chains forming part of the flexible ladder.

Fig. 5 is an elevation partly in vertical section of a preferred form of base for the ap- 40 paratus.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one leg of the base with the lower end portion of one of the supporting poles extending therein.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary elevation of the upper 45 portion of a preferred embodiment of the in- Vention.

Fig. 8 a View partly in section and partly in elevation of the means. for supporting the main bar at the upper ends of the poles.

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the means employed for suspending the flexible ladder or a trapeze from an end of the rigid ladder.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring to the embodiment of the inven- 55 tion illustrated in Fig. 1, 4 is a base of any Daily, Kane, Pa. 1940, Serial No. 331,864

(o 272mm) suitable substantially permanent character, from which rises a pair of r gid posts 5 which may be braced by struts t having their lower ends rigidly connected to the base, and their upper ends rigidly connected to the posts. The latter are rigidly connected by horizontal a top cross bar ii. The parts t to 8 may be made of iron pipes.

As best shown in Figs. '7 and 8, the top bar 8 is rotatably mounted on bal bearings 8c carried by pins ilb which extend through holes in the upper ends of the posts.

A rigid ladder 9 formed of a pair of side bars or pipes ill and rungs 5!, forms the beam of a see-saw, and its medial portion is pivotally mounted on the cross bar 8 by any suitable means, such as brackets it. Each bracket has a loop portion Elia which surrounds the bar and is rigidly secured thereto by a bolt l2?) or the like. Each bracket has a pair of legs l2c that are rigidly secured to a side bar of the rigid ladder. The supporting structure is such as to lower the center of gravity and prevent the see-saw from going too high.

In order that the apparatus may be simultaneousl children, it includes a flexible ladder [3 comprising a pair of ropes H3 or chains Ifia (Figs. 4 and 7), connected by rungs I5. Each rung, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, may have a link i541, spot-welded to it to facilitate linking the same into the chain.

Any suitable means may be employed in connecting the ends of the flexible ladder to the ends of the rigid ladder. For example, as best shown in Figs. 9 and 10, a collar l5 may be rigidly secured to the lower portion of each end of the side bars Iii, to accommodate an anti-friction bearing ll supporting a bolt it which carries a clevis 19 attached to the end portion 20 of the rope or chains of the flexible ladder. The clevises' also carry the ropes 22 of the trapeze.

The rope ladder forms a kind of skeletal hammock and is of such length that its media] portion will not touch the ground regardless of the position of the rigid ladder.

To facilitate climbing, various portions of the apparatus may be provided with spaced steps 23.

Instead of using the supporting structure shown in Fig. 1, I may employ the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this example, vertical sockets 24 may be embedded in the ground and supported by any suitable foundation 25. These sockets are preferably rigidly connected by cross bars 26. Each socket (Fig. 6) is designed to receive the lower end portion of one of the posts 5a., and suitable packing 5b is interposed between the post and socket to seal out moisture.

If the height of the apparatus is about eight and a half feet and the length of the rigid ladder is ten feet, it can accommodate from two to twenty children at one time, and from actual practice, I have found that the device is very popular with boys and girls of all ages.

When the apparatus is in use, two or more children may occupy the rigid ladder, two or more the rope ladder and the trapeze will accommodate an additional two. Then, if the rigid ladder is moved like the beam of a see-saw, it is obvious that the occupants will partake of excursions furnished by the apparatus.

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be apreferred embodiment of the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a play and exercise apparatus, a support, a substantially rigid see-saw beam having its middle portion rockably mounted on said support, and a flexible ladder having its end portions connected to the beam at the opposite sides of the place where the beam is rockably mounted on the support.

2. In a play and exercise apparatus, a support, a substantially rigid ladder having its middle portion rockably mounted on said support, and a flexible ladder having its end portions connected to said rigid ladder at opposite sides of the place where said rigid ladder is rockably mounted on the support, the rope ladder being of materially greater length than the rigid ladder.

3. In a play and exercise apparatus, a support, a substantially rigid see-saw beam having its middle portion rockably mounted on said support, and a flexible ladder of greater length than the rigid beam having its end portions connected to the end portions of the beam.

4. In a play and exercise apparatus, a support, a substantially rigid see-saw beam having its middle portion rockably mounted on said support, and a flexible ladder of greater length than the rigid beam having its end portions connected to the end portions of the beam, said flexible ladder comprising a pair of linked chains and rigid spaced rungs, each rung having eyes at its ends forming links of the chains.

5. In a play and exercise apparatus, a support, a substantially rigid see-saw beam having its middle portion rockably mounted on said support, a flexible ladder of greater length than said rigid beam having spaced rigid rungs, and means detachably connecting the ends of the flexible ladder to the rigid beam at opposite sides of the place where the beam is rockably mounted on the support.

6. In a play and exercise apparatus, a support, a substantially rigid see-saw beam having its middle portion rockably mounted on said support, a flexible ladder of greater length than said rigid beam having rigid spaced rungs, and means comprising anti-friction bearings connecting the ends of the flexible ladder to the rigid beam at opposite sides of the place where the beam is rockably mounted on the support, said means including a collar fixed to the see-saw beam and having its axis arranged at right angles to 'the length of said beam, a clevis, and a bolt extending through the collar and supporting the clevis.

'7. In a play and exercise apparatus, an upright support having a rocking cross bar, a substantially rigid ladder forming a see-saw beam and having its middle portion secured to and rockably supported by said bar, and a flexible ladder of greater length than the rigid ladder having its end portions connected to the beam at opposite sides of the place where the beam is rockably mounted on the support.

8. In a play and exercise apparatus, an upright support having a cross bar, a substantially rigid ladder forming a see-saw beam and having its middle portion rockably supported by said bar, and a flexible ladder of greater length than the rigid ladder having its end portions connected to the beam at opposite sides of the place where the beam is rockably mounted on the support, the flexible ladder having spaced rigid rungs and being supported by the rigid ladder at such a height as to prevent the flexible ladder from contacting with any supporting surface on which the uprights are mounted.

9. In a play and exercise apparatus, spaced rigid posts, a bar rotatably supported by the posts, brackets carried by the bar and having portions depending therefrom, a substantially rigid see-saw beam having its middle portion secured to the depending portions of said brackets, and a flexible ladder having its end portions connected to the beam at the opposite sides of the place where the beam is rockably carried by said support bar.

10. In a play and exercise apparatus, vertically disposed, rigidly connected ground sockets, 7

posts extending into and supported by said sockets, a supporting bar carried by the posts, a substantially rigid see-saw beam having its middle portion rockably carried by said supporting bar, and a flexible ladder having its end portions connected to the beam at the opposite sides of the place where the beam is rockably mounted on the support.

CLAUDE C. OVERI-IOLT. 

